Take My Hand
by Rosalie Barvik
Summary: High-school shooting AU. Romione/Hinny. Angst and fluff. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**This is Ron-centric (because he's my favorite and needs more love and attention). Also, this is my first (and probably only) HP fic! I wrote this totally on a whim so idk if this is even a good idea. . . Nope. Definitely not. Anyway, here ya go,**

Ron Weasley fidgeted in his seat. Biology was so dull. He glanced over at Hermione Granger. Her frizzy brown hair was falling in her face as she furiously scribbled down notes. Ron didn't see how she was so interested. Who cared about the different types of blood cells and how the immune system worked? Still, Hermione Granger looked really cute when she studied. They were good friends, but Ron wanted to be more. He had had a crush on her since the sixth grade. Now, four years later, he was finally going to ask her out. Today was the day.

While the the teacher, Mr Garfield, drawled on about atoms and neurons, Ron nudged his best friend Harry Potter. Harry's elbows were propped on his desk, his head fallen into his hands. He appeared to be listening but Ron knew he was really asleep. Against Mrs Wealsey's best wishes, Harry had spent the night with Ron on a school night. They had stayed up until 3 AM playing _Fortnite_ and talking about the hot chicks at school. Harry had encouraged Ron to ask Hermione out. And he was going to do it.

Ron pulled out his phone. He carefully hid it under the desk as he typed.

Ron: _Hey, wanna hangout sometime?_

To his surprise Hermione actually responded quickly. She never texted in class. Ron was proud.

Hermione: _We hangout everyday._

Ron: _I meant just u and me_

Hermione's gaze darted to him. Ron flushed. He gave her a hopeful smile. She gave him a shy one in return.

Hermione: _Sure we can_

Every part of Ron tingled with joy.

Ron: _Gr8 will Saturday work?_

Hermione: _I'm free all day_

Ron: _Noon at Starbucks?_

Hermione: _I'll be there_

Ron quickly texted Harry.

Ron: _SHE SAID YES!_

Harry jerked awake as his text ringtone started playing. It was the _Titanic_ theme and the volume was all the way up. The entire classroom burst into fits of laughter. Harry scrambled to silenced it. Ignoring the teacher's dirty look, Ron saw him typing. A moment later, Ron's phone vibrated.

Harry: _Told u so_

Ron: _Shut up y is your ringtone from_ Titanic?

Harry: _U shut up_

Ron: L _ol u like_ Titanic

Harry: _Nope_

Ron: _Liar lmao_

Harry sent the middle finger emoji. Ron snorted. Just then an alarm started blaring making everyone jump. Ron's hands flew to his ears. He saw the confusion on everybody's faces. It was the fire alarm. But there was no smoke, not even the smell.

"Stay calm! Everyone stay calm!'' The Mr Garfield screeched, although he was freaking out more than anyone. "Evacuate the school. You all know the drill.''

Everyone sprang into action. Abandoning their backpacks and things, they all made a mad dash towards the door. Bursting into the open hall they suddenly stopped. Ron was confused. There was no smoke. None at all. The temperature was completely. unaffected. Other than the blaring alarms, the hall was deathly silent. A single gun shot pierced the air. Ron only had time to process it, when the screaming started. Gun shots filled the air, close. The screaming was close.

"It's just around the corner,'' Neville Longbottom whimpered.

"It's a shooter,'' Mr Garfield said, fighting to stay calm. "Evacuate. The police have been called. Stay quiet.''

Ron's head spun as students pushed around him to get to the nearest exit. But he couldn't think about that. _Around the corner,_ Neville had said. Ron knew where that was. That was the Freshman's classroom.

"Ron, come on,'' Harry grabbed his hand and started pulling him.

"I can't!'' Ron pulled away. "'Around the corner', Harry! Ginny's back there!''

Harry's eyes widened.

"Let's go make sure she's safe then.'' Hermione appeared at Harry's elbow.

The trio started to run, but the teacher held them back. "No one goes back there.''

"But—'' Ron started to protest.

"Holy shit!'' Dean Thomas yelled.

Three people, two men and a woman, had rounded the corner and were headed straight at them. They were dressed in black hoodies and shredded skinny jeans. In their hands they held rifles.

Time seemed to slow as the dark figures raised the guns. Ron heard kids screaming. He heard them run, trip, fall, and scramble to their feet. But he stayed put. And the gun shots filled the air.

It was like a living hell. Screaming, yelling, shoving other people out of they way, the Sophomores ran. Harry and Hermione dragged Ron behind them. Ron had to see if Ginny was okay. His little sister. . . He didn't know if there were more shooters or not. He thought about his two older brother, Fred and George, who were Seniors. Were they in danger too? What if one of his siblings was already dead?

Lavender Brown was the first to go down. Shot in the back of the head. And it happened right beside Ron. He yelled and stumbled away. Lavender was dead before her body even touched the ground. And icy claw tore at Ron's heart. He liked Lavender. They had even dated for a short time the previous year. Now she was dead.

Ron ran. Another shot sounded and another kid fell, screaming. Ron thought he was going to throw up. He, Harry, and Hermione ran. They had never ran as hard or as fast before. But their lives had never been in danger before.

Suddenly, Ron realized they were alone. They had separated from the group. It was just the three of them in an empty locker hall. The horrific sounds were distant. Ron bent double, trying to regain his breath. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit.''

Hermione had tears streaming down her face, but she didn't sob. She was strong. "We need,'' she gasped. "We need to get out of here. Until. . . the police come. Wh-where's the nearest exit.

"There.'' Harry pointed a down the hall. He was shaking.

"It says 'do not exit','' Ron pointed out.

Harry shrugged. "It's still an exit.''

"Wait!'' Hermione stiffened. "Do you hear that?''

"No.'' The boys answered in unison.

"Exactly. The screams. . . they've stopped. So have the shots. I think it's over.''

Ron wanted to collapse and bawl his eyes out. But he had to check on his siblings first. He pulled out his phone again.

"Guys,'' Harry's voice dropped to a whisper. "I've had a terrible thought.''

"I don't want to hear it.''

Harry ignored him. "What if the shooters have moved on?''

Ron felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Hermione covered her mouth with a hand.

"Footsteps. I hear footsteps.''

"What to we do?'' Ron asked. He couldn't think. He felt kill he was losing his mind. Hermione, of course, kept her cool.

"The lockers.''

It was the only place to hide. The footsteps were too close to run out the exit. Harry dashed inside the nearest one. Ron followed suit. He was surprised when Hermione squeezed in after him. The lockers were deep enough to where they were comfortable enough, but still tightly pushed against one another.

Hermione's breath was warm against Ron's neck. Her head was pressed against his shoulder. She was trembling. She was scared. The footsteps drew closer.

"They're in the hall,'' Hermione murmured.

Ron bit his lip. Fear filled him. But something else overwhelmed him. A sense of responsibility. Protectiveness. Hermione was with him. He had to be strong for her. He had to comfort and protect he at all cost. She was a friend. And Ron was in love with her.

"Take my hand.''

Hermione obliged, gripping Ron's fingers as hard as she could. It hurt, but it was a secure pain. Ron didn't mind.

Low voices. A noise of creaking metal, then a metallic slam. Hermione stiffened against Ron. The shooters were opening the lockers. How long did they have? How long before they were discovered and shot? Ron tried to remember if Harry's locker was before or after his and Hermione's. He thought it was before. He waited for his best friend to be shot dead. But nothing happened. The lockers were all being opened. The one beside them slammed shut. Ron closed his eyes. He was going to die. He would never know if his sibling survived or not. Had he told his mom he loved her before he left for school that morning? How would he be remembered? Did Hermione love him like he loved her? It didn't matter, none of it. It was what it was. Ron just hoped he would die with the girl he loved in his arms.

The locker door creaked open. Ron squeezed his eyes shut.

"We found them.''

Ron suddenly felt Hermione being torn from his arms. He emitted a hoarse cry, reaching out to grab her, save her, protect her, comfort her, _anything._

"Whoa, there, son, it's okay.''

Ron's eyes sprang open. He was face-to-face with a police officer. All his fear rushed away. His knees buckled and he would have fallen if the officer wouldn't have caught him. The sense of relief was so strong, Ron thought he would pass out.

"You're safe now,'' a female officer told him. "The shooters have been compromised.''

The two officers made Ron sit down and covered his shoulders and back with a shock blanket. They gave him a water bottle too. Harry and Hermione experienced the same treatment.

"Call your parents. Tell them what happened. Ask them to come pick you up. You're going home.''

Harry and Hermione scooted away. Ron heard Harry quietly explaining things to Sirius, his guardian. Hermione was speaking to her mom, crying softly. Ron took a deep breath and glanced at his phone.

Mom: _Are you alright?_

Ron frowned. She already knew about the shooting. Ginny, Fred, or George must have told her already. He quickly texted,

Ron: _I'm fine. So r Harry and Hermione. I haven't heard from G, F, or G. R they ok?_

Mom: _Thank God. Hold on just a minute. Mommy's on her way._

Mom: _Ginny's fine._

Ron: _F &G?_

Mom: _IDK_

Ron sighed. Ginny was alright. That was something. Maybe Fred and George had never been in danger in the first place. That was his hope. He refused to think about his fear.

The two police officers escorted Ron, Harry, and Hermione to the front of the high-school where they would be picked up. Ron's stomach turned. Blood stained the hallway floor. He wondered if Lavender Brown had survived. She had been shot in the back of the head. She had to be dead. Ron choked back a sob.

Neither Harry nor Hermione had said anything yet. But they had been friends long enough to where silence was comfortable. And they honestly were in so much shock no one felt like talking.

Outside the school, everyone was crying. Several kids were absolutely hysterical. Apparently all the injured ones had already been rushed to the hospital. The dead bodies were nowhere to be seen. Ron wondered how many fatalities there had been. How many people had he known?

Neville Longbottom was jogging towards the trio. They all hugged.

"I was so worried about you guys!'' Neville gasped. He had obviously been crying. "Where were you.''

"In lockers,'' Harry answered. "The cops came and rescued us. But we thought it was the shooters approaching. It was kinda scary.''

"We're glad you're okay,'' Hermione murmured. Harry and Ron nodded.

Neville wiped a tear away. "Lavender's gone.''

Hermione wept quietly. Ron put an arm around her, feeling his own sense of loss. Harry, who had never been particularly close to her, bowed his head.

"Everyone else will be okay,'' Neville continued. "Seamus got his leg grazed and Draco got hit in the shoulder.''

Ron winced. He didn't like Draco Malfoy one bit, but he wouldn't ever had wished that on him. He was glad Seamus's wound was only a grazing.

"I heard someone say eight students were killed and one teacher. Fourteen were injured. No one knows who the shooters were or why they came to our school yet.''

Ron struggled not to cry. It was so hard, goddammit.

"Ron!'' Ron turned at the sound of his name. Ginny flew into his arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, sobbing loudly. "Ron, oh Ron, oh Ron.''

He buried his head in her long red hair. Tears started slipping down his cheeks. "S'okay,'' he murmured. "I'm here. They can't hurt you now. Mom will be here soon.''

Ginny pulled back. She scrubbed at her eyes. "N-no she won't.''

Ron bit his lip. He had never seen his little sister so upset before. "Of course she will be, Gin. She will be here any moment.''

Ginny shook her head, her hair fanning out so it looked like a flame. "She had to go to—'' She swallowed. "Somewhere.''

Ron exchanged a worried look with Harry and Hermione. Then he had a terrible thought. "Ginny. . . . where are Fred and George?''

"Fred got shot!'' She hiccoughed.

Ron felt his world fade away. _Fred. . ._ He. . . . He. . . . Ron's mind couldn't form complete thoughts. His mouth couldn't form complete words.

Harry took over. "Everything's going to be alright, Ginny. Don't cry. Sirius is on his way. He'll drive us all to the hospital. Tell us, how bad is Fred?''

"I don't know!"' She wailed.

"Hermione!'' Mrs Granger was racing towards her daughter, still in her medical scrubs (she was a dentist). In a matter of seconds the two women were hugging and crying. "Oh, my darling, darling girl. You're not hurt?''

"I'm okay, but mother, mom they killed Lavender! Lavender Brown is dead,'' Hermione sobbed. Mrs Granger rubbed her back comfortingly.

Ron watched awkwardly as the mother and daughter talked quietly. He wished his own mom was there, but he knew Fred needed her most at the moment. He considered calling his dad or one of his older brothers. Mr Weasley would probably already be at the hospital. Percy and/or Charliel would/might be in class at College. Bill, who was already graduated, would be the best option.

Harry grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him off to see Sirius Black, who had just arrived. Sirius hugged Harry. "You aren't are you?''

"Not at all. Just kinda shaken up.'' Harry pulled back. "Fred was shot. We don't know how bad.''

Sirius's face softened with compassion. To Ron's surprise, he hugged him to. "I'm glad you're safe. Hermione too.''

"Can you drive us and Ginny to the hospital?'' Harry asked his godfather.

"Of course.''

"Thank you.'' Said Ron gratefully.

"Come on, Ginny,'' Harry called. "Sirius is taking us to see Fred.''

Ginny hurried over. Ron saw Hermione look from them to her mom then back again.

"Mom,'' he heard her say. "May I go with them?''

"Don't you want to just come home? You've had a long day.''

"No shit. But Ron's brother Fred was hurt. I-I want to be there for Ron.''

Mrs Granger nodded understandingly. "You may. I love you.''

"I love you too.'' Hermione hugged her mom one last time and hurried over. "Let's go.''

 **Obviously, I've never been in a school shooting. I'm not sure if this is how it actually would work or not. I literally did no research. I don't know how this would offend anyone, but it is a sensitive subject so let me know if it's too much and I'll be happy to take it down, Welp. Until next time. *peace sign***


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been exactly a month since I published this story. I almost deleted it, but have decided to update for the few people who actually enjoyed it ***you know who you are and graciously I thank you*** ANYWAY, here is Part 2 of this crappy piece of cringe.**

Traffic was terrible. All the roads surrounding the school has been closed off by yellow CAUTION tape and orange traffic cones. Officers were directing traffic around the area. All the injured—and worse off—students had already been rushed to the hospital. The parents of the student that hadn't been picked up yet were specially directed into the school parking lot.

Sirius swore as someone pulled in front of him. Harry Potter's godfather had a rather obnoxious black truck. But as big as it appeared, the cab was fairly small. Sirius drove, Harry sat in the passenger seat up front, occasionally glancing back at his friends. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were all crammed in the back. Ginny was clutching Ron's arm painfully, her young face white as a sheet. Hermione was murmuring quiet words of encouragement to her. Ron sat wedged in between them, numb and silent. His head was spinning. He wished he was home. He wished he had just stayed home today. He and his family. And Harry and Hermione. . . Ron wished nothing had happened today. He wished the shooter had not come to their high-school and everyone was safe.

Once out of the traffic, Sirius revved the engine and sped towards the hospital as fast as the speed-limit would allow. Not that it mattered. Most of the cops in the depot were involved with the school shooting. They weren't running speed meters. But Sirius had done time and did not wish to do so again.

Harry looked back at Ron. _'S okay, mate._

 _It's okay._ That was what Hermione had been telling Ginny.

But it wasn't okay. Nothing was okay. Their friends were wounded. Their friends were dead. Fred was injured and nobody knew how badly. For all. They knew, he could already be dead. Ron shook himself. No. He couldn't think about that. That wasn't an option. Fred was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

The truck turned into the hospital parking lot. It was more crowded than usual. Ron wasn't there often, but he drove past it every week. He wondered if all the extra cars were the family and friends of the shooting victims or if it was just a coincidence.

Ron hated hospitals. He just did. He hated the clean, sanitary smell. He hated the depressing air. He hated all the people in scrubs and masks walking briskly around. _Those people are the ones saving your brother's life,_ Ron's conscience quipped.

After what seemed like an eternal elevator ride, they arrived on the floor where Fred was being kept. They sat tensely in the waiting room, no one daring to speak. Finally, when Ron could not stand it any longer, he got up and began to walk around. It was more like pacing. Aimlessly walking around, tapping his fingers against his thighs. And hour passed. And hour and a half. Two hours.

"No news is good news,'' Sirius told them.

Ron wasn't so sure. He scrolled through the texts he'd sent to various family members. Dad, Mom, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and even George. Bill, no surprise, was the only one who had responded. _No, Ron, still waiting here too. If I hear anything I promise I'll let u know._ It was the best he got. Ron was grateful Bill bothered to respond even though he had no news. It was better than what anyone else had given him, he thought bitterly.

Frustrated, Ron threw his phone on the couch. It bounced off a pillow and landed beside Hermione. She bit her lip timidly. Ron thought of how instead of going home she had decided to come be with them. . .him. Hermione had come to be with Ron. Harry and Sirius were there too. He relaxed slightly. This was a crappy situation, but at least he had friends who stood by him and his family.

Hermione stood up. She slowly walked over to where he was standing. She laced her small fingers with his long ones. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Take my hand,'' she whispered.

Ron squeezed his eyes shut. The next thing he was aware of was Ginny shrieking "Mum!''. Ron broke away from Hermione's embrace. Mrs Weasley had finally come. She was hugging a sobbing Ginny. Ron didn't speak, fearing doing so would cause instantaneous tears. He couldn't cry in front of Harry and Sirius.

When Mrs Weasley finally released Ginny her eyes were wet too. She looked directly at Ron. Her soft gaze made Ron's lower lip tremble. He emitted a small sob as his mom hugged him. "It's alright, Ronnie. Everything's going to be alright. I'm here.''

Somehow, hearing it from his mother, Ron did believe everything would be alright. He wiped his eyes quickly. Ginny was close. Harry, Sirius, and Hermione were all standing. Ron noticed Hermione was crying too.

"Fred?'' He asked quietly, dreading the answer.

Mrs Weasley smiled. "Fred's going to be alright. The bullet lodged into his left hip, but it wasn't too deep. He's lost some blood but it's being taken care of. Dad, George, and Charlie are with him now. Percy and Bill are on their way. Do you want to see him?

Ron nodded wordlessly.

Mrs Weasley hugged and thanked Sirius. She invited him to stay, but he declined saying he needed to get Harry and Hermione home.

"You're all good, mate?'' Harry asked.

Ron nodded again. "You?''

Harry shrugged. "Yeah.''

Ron cracked a tired smile. "Been a shitty day, huh?''

Harry laughed gently. "Understatement of the century.''

Hermione hugged Ron tightly. "Thank you.''

Ron wasn't sure what she was thanking him for. But he was grateful to her as well. "Thank you.'' Her lips brushed his cheek.

He watched Sirius, Harry, and Hermione go. Hermione cast a look back and called, "We're still one for Saturday at noon, right?''

Ron grinned. "Right.''

Mrs Weasley led Ron and Ginny to Fred's room. It had been a shitty day. But they had all pulled through. People had died. Scars had been left. No one was about to recover from this quickly. But, in the end, everything was alright.


End file.
